Hooked On Science: Why Does the Wind Blow?
Why Does the Wind Blow?
INGREDIENTS
- Vacuum Cleaner Hose
- Styrofoam Peanuts
INSTRUCTIONS
STEP 1: Place several Styrofoam peanuts on a flat surface.
STEP 2: Spin the vacuum cleaner hose above your head while placing the other end of the hose close to the Styrofoam peanuts and observe. What happened? Compare what happens to how air moves from an area of high pressure to an area of low pressure. Why do the Styrofoam peanuts fall to the floor?
EXPLANATION
A low pressure forms inside the vacuum hose as you spin it above your head. The higher pressure outside of the vacuum hose pushes the Styrofoam peanuts into the hose and out of the other end. Air moves from an area of high pressure to an area of low pressure. This movement of air is called wind and the greater the pressure difference, the stronger the wind.
